Tailless airplane



Aug. 29, 1933. w; LANGGUTH 1,924,996

TAILLESS AIRPLANE Filed Jan. 23, 1932 l I I I 11 In! I" A i 'A M omffuh UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAILLESS AIRPLANE Wilhelm Langguth, Boblingen, in Wurtemberg, Germany Application January 23, 1932, Serial No. 588,450, and in Germany November 16, 1929 2 Claims. (Cl. 244-12) It is well known that, in an airplane in flight, directly either on or within the spars, which, to the weight of the wings or supporting surfaces this effect, may be built in an appropriate manupon which the ascentional forces act in an upner. When each wing of the airplane comprises ward direction, exerts a relieving action with reseveral girders, these latter are preferably conspect to the bending stresses to which are subnected together through a certain number of pasjected the spars which carry the ribs or the sages. covering of the wings. It follows that, for a A preferred embodiment of my invention will heavywwing, the absolute value of said relief acbe hereinafter described with reference to the tion is greater than for a light wing. It has accompanying drawing, given merely by Way of 10 already been proposed, in order to increase the example, and in which:

relieving action exerted by the weight of the Fig. l is a diagrammatical front view of an airwings, to dispose some parts of the airplane, for plane without tail. instance the engines, the tanks, etc., not in the Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1. fuselage, but in the wings. It has also been pro-- (1 and b designate the two wings of the airplane 15 posed to utilize the central portion of the wings, which are supported respectively by two pairs of that is the portion located immediately adjacent pr longitudinal girders c d an e f. T w ns the fuselage, for lodging useful loads. might as well comprise only one girder or a multi- The object of my invention is to produce a conple system of spars. The girders may consist siderable reduction of the stresses to which the either of tubular d s O 0 p d girders 20 wing girders or spars are subjected, due to the having solid walls, or again of sectional irons fact that the useful load is disposed inside the which are connected together by means of latwings, in such a manner that its weight, includtice trussing, etc. The space within the girders ing the weight of the wing itself therein, may be which constitute together a main spar is utilized, distributed along the length of the wing in such according to my invention, for receiving the usea way as to correspond, either fully or approxiful load, which is distributed inside the wing, mately, with the distribution of the ascentional preferably in the vicinity of the tips of the wings, forces that act upwardly upon the wings. as far as the points of application of the resultant To this effect, according to my invention, the A of the ascentional forces, which are designated useful load is preferably distributed inside the by F, or even further on (Fig. 1). I thus obtain wings in such a manner that the center of gravity the result that the forces N correspond to e of any given portion of the load, for instance the load, that is to the sum of the weight of the wings portion of the load comprised between two ribs themselves and to the useful load are about equal of the wing structure, may coincide, either exactto the ascentional forces acting in the opposite ly or approximately, with the ascentional resultdirection, at any point whatsoever along the ant or lift corresponding to the portion of the Wing. The aDD W Which at result supporting surface within which is located said is obtained is all the more complete as the useful portion of the load. In that way, the stresses load is distributed beyond the resultant ascento which the spars are subjected are relieved to tional force, and the distribution of the load is a considerable degree by the action of the useful the more uniformly adapted to the distribution load. That balancing action may be such, in cerof the ascentional forces. D tain cases, for instance in airplanes Without tail, It follows that the bending stresses to which that at any point along the length of the wings the girders are subjected are reduced to a relathe ascentional forces or lift acting in an upward tively low value, so that said spars do not need direction are nearly wholly compensated for or to be so strong as is customary, and that ac equalized by the weight of the useful load actcordingly the dead weight of the airplane may ing in an opposite direction taken in combinabe considerably reduced. As the loads on the tion with the weight of the wings themselves so Wings resulting from the useful load act directthat only relatively small transverse or bending ly upon the girders or even inside the girders, r stresses can exist in the wing structure. In secondary tensile stresses are avoided. The conorder to avoid the secondary tensile stresses struction of the spars with respect to the useful which might result from the transmission of the load to be supported may evidently vary. The forces of a portion of the useful load from the girders may be so built as to form magazines for covering or the ribs of the wings to the girders, the dead useful load or chambers for the live usewhich are the main spar of the wing structure, ful load. the useful load may advantageously be supported In the embodiment shown in the figures, in no which each wing comprises two girders c d and e 1 which constitute together a main spar, it is advantageous to connect the spars by means of passages so as to permit easy access from one magazine or chamber into another one. The parts of the wings or girders which, due to their small height, cannot be entered by persons, ior instance the tips of the wings, are preferably used as magazines for granular or powdery goods (shipped in bulk) or liquid goods. Said spaces may also serve especially as fuel tanks.

While I have disclosed what I deem to be preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of my invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tailless airplane comprising wings, a plurality of spars in each wing adapted to be used as a magazine or chamber for the useful load, passages extending transversely withrespect to said spars for connecting them together, and said load taken in combination with the weight of the wing structure being so distributed as to about correspond with the ascentional forces acting upwardly upon the wings so as to substanial- 1y balance them at any point of the surface of the wing, whereby the bending and shearing stresses exerted upon the spars are reduced to a minimum.

2. A tailless airplane comprising wings solely adapted to receive the load, propelling means secured to the wings, front and rear profiled longitudinal girders constituting together a main spar stiffening internally the surface of the wings, the load being distributed in the said girders so that the sum of the load and weight of the structure at each unit of length of the Wing is approximately equal to the aerial force acting upward on the wing for creating the ascension so that this load added to the weight of the wing, known at each point, follows the same law of distribution as the distribution of the ascensional aerial force so that the shearing forces and the bending forces at each point of the wing are approximately nil.

WILHELM LANGGUTH. 

